"In the Owens Valley, Los Angeles not only siphons water from streams, but also pumps groundwater from wells. Leaders of Native tribes are calling for the city to take less water and are pushing for negotiations on water rights. They say pumping from wells has dried up springs and meadows."
"BISHOP, Calif. — In a desert landscape dominated by sagebrush, a piece of Los Angeles’ immense water empire stands behind a chain-link fence: a hydrant-like piece of metal atop a well. The electric pump hums as it sends water gushing into a canal, forming a stream in the desert.
This well is one of 105 that L.A. owns across the Owens Valley. They were drilled decades ago, many of them when the city opened a second giant pipeline, nearly doubling its famous aqueduct to send more water south.
While many Californians know the story of how L.A. seized the valley’s river water in the early 1900s and drained Owens Lake, fewer know that the city also pulls up a significant amount of water from underground. The pumping has led to resentment among leaders of Native tribes, who say it is leaving their valley parched and harming the environment."
Ian James reports for the Los Angeles Times October 18, 2025, with photography by Carlin Stiehl.
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